1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle forward information acquiring device configured to acquire vehicle forward information.
2. Description of the Related Art
In some vehicles such as an automobile, for the purpose of acquiring and recording vehicle forward information, or for the purpose of assisting a driver in driving a vehicle, a vehicle forward information acquiring sensor of a vehicle forward information acquiring device mounted in a vehicle cabin acquires the vehicle forward information. As the vehicle forward information acquiring sensor, a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera, a radar sensor, and an infrared sensor are exemplified. A sensor, which is used as the vehicle forward information acquiring sensor particularly for preventing collision of the vehicle, is called a pre-crash safety sensor (abbreviated as “PCS sensor”). In general, the vehicle forward information acquiring sensor (abbreviated as “information acquiring sensor” as needed) is mounted to a bracket, which is fixed on an inner surface of a windshield by bonding, so that the mounting state is maintained.
For example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2012-91596, the following configuration is disclosed as an example of the vehicle forward information acquiring device. Specifically, an onboard camera configured to capture a forward scene of a vehicle is employed as the information acquiring sensor, and a flat spring serving as a spring mechanism is arranged on the onboard camera. The onboard camera is mounted to a bracket fixed to a windshield.
In some types of information acquiring sensors, in order to ensure fine appearance of a portion to which each information acquiring sensor is mounted, and/or to protect the information acquiring sensor, a cover is mounted to a bracket so as to cover the information acquiring sensor mounted to the bracket. It is preferred that, similarly to a case of mounting the information acquiring sensor to the bracket, a windshield be not excessively pressed toward an outer side of the vehicle through intermediation of the bracket also when the cover is mounted to the bracket. Accordingly, it is preferred that the cover be mounted to the bracket by being moved up to a preset position along the bracket in a predetermined direction defined substantially along the windshield.
In order to firmly mount the cover to the bracket, it is preferred that a plurality of engaging portions and a plurality of engaged portions including a pressing spring mechanism be formed on the cover and the bracket, and that the cover be mounted to and retained on the bracket while being pressed thereto by the engaging portions and the engaged portions. In this case, the plurality of engaging portions and the plurality of engaged portions are constructed such that engagement of all of the engaging portions and the engaged portions is completed when the cover is moved up to the preset position.
However, while the cover is moved to the preset position, the engaging portions and the engaged portions generate a significant elastic force of mutually pressing the bracket and the cover, thereby generating a significant reaction force against the movement of the cover to the preset position. Accordingly, when all of the engaging portions and the engaged portions generate the significant reaction force at the same time while the cover is moved to the preset position, a significant force needs to be applied to the cover so as to overcome the significant reaction force, which increases a burden imposed on a worker who mounts the cover.